Social Security and You

You can start drawing Social-Security benefits at age 62--four or five years before full retirement age. That sounds pretty sweet to many people--until they realize they’re locking in the smallest possible benefit, which could leave them short of funds if they live to a ripe old age.Webster Phillips, with the advocacy group, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, explains. Check out the Delay and Gain website, including a calculator to help people envision how claiming benefits at different ages could change their financial picture.Then: What’s Maryland doing to help workers who don’t have a savings plan at work? Josh Gotbaum, a guest scholar with the Retirement Security Project at the Brookings Institution, tells us about Maryland$aves.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472